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What is Menopause?
It is inevitable that all women will eventually stop having periods when their egg supply has run out. Women are born with every egg they have and when all their eggs are gone they will stop having periods. This is a normal event. You do not lose your femininity once all your eggs are gone. Your ovaries make estrogen and progesterone during your reproductive years. It is the loss of estrogen that cause most women symptoms. However, it is possible for your periods to stop and you have no symptoms. With very low estrogen levels women can start to experience hot flashes, brain fog and even feel as though the vagina is too dry. The loss of estrogen can also cause the ligaments in the pelvis to ache and feel stiff.
Many women choose to take estrogen and/or progesterone to help relieve these symptoms. HRT (hormone replacement therapy) can give almost immediate relief to the hot flashes. When you wake up in the middle of the night and you feel sweaty and hot it interrupts your sleep. The lack of restful sleep coupled with all the other symptoms can make you irritable and moody.
There are prescription medications for estrogen and progesterone. I should note that if you have a uterus you have to take progesterone with your estrogen. Physicians in the 1950's started prescribing estrogen to menopausal women to help maintain their "youthfulness" but unfortunately found there was a sudden increase in the rate of uterine cancer. However, by adding progesterone to the estrogen the rate of uterine actually went below normal. It is still not totally clear scientifically what is the cause of breast cancer, so there remains some controversy about HRT. Women also tend to have a lot of fear about taking hormones.
If you choose to have a consultation with me I can help you work through these questions to find what is right for you.
There are non-hormone products that can help with all the symptoms of menopause.
Even women who have already been diagnosed with breast cancer can use estrogen vaginal tablets safely. Bioidentical hormones have been developed and also can be very helpful.
I would love to talk to you about these issues and offer a virtual half-hour or an hour-long consultation. Likely there is a good solution for you!
Meet Vinette Zabriskie, MD
With over 40 years of experience as a board-certified Obstetrician Gynecologist, I am passionate about supporting women through life’s transitions. While I no longer deliver babies or perform surgeries, my focus is now on helping women navigate the challenges of menopause.